Vice Mayor Surprised By Charter Rule

"We've lived by our charter for 40 years, and now they want to change that," he said soon after the town voted in March not to annex Lake Forest, Miami Gardens, Carver Ranches and Utopia.

His complaint: He didn't want a mayor elected at large.

But that's just what will happen in the event of annexation, as is spelled out in the town's charter.

The news took Lyons by surprise, and he verified it with Town Attorney Chris Ryan at a commission meeting Wednesday.

The provision was part of a charter amendment made 14 years ago.

"I didn't know that was in there because it was passed in 1986," Lyons said.

What was big news to Lyons was not for leaders of the unincorporated areas, still smarting over the town's rejection of an annexation plan on which they had worked for two years.

"We knew what was in their current charter, and we thought they did too," said Joe Phillips, president of the Lake Forest neighborhood association.

The town elects five commissioners, and those five elect a mayor. If the four areas were annexed, five districts would each have a commissioner, and the new town would elect the mayor.

"We have no objections to them joining Pembroke Park," Lyons said before learning of the provision.

"Annexation is not our problem. Our problem is that one of the groups wants to change our charter so we have a mayor elected at large. Now here's our little community. A community, a town of 5,000 people. We can't ever have a mayor elected from our town because they have all the votes."

The annexations would have increased the town's population from 5,000 residents to 20,000.

"You can't take 15,000 people and jam them into 5,000 people and not expect chaos," Lyons said.

Commissioner Emma Shoaff, who like Lyons opposed electing a mayor at large, also did not know it was in the town's charter.

Commissioner Howard Clark, however, was not surprised. "I was not shocked because that was the charter change made in 1986."

Why didn't he mention it to Lyons? "He was passionately opposed to a mayor at large," said Clark said, adding that he had concerns about protecting mobile homes in case of storms. "You can't see the forest for the trees. You have your ideas, and it's important that you say your own beliefs. He was voicing his opinion."

Lyons is not pleased with the charter's mayor-at-large provision. "Just because it's in there doesn't mean it's going to stay in there," he said. "That's only in case of annexation. I'll probably be long gone by the time that happens."

Town officials have not considered removing the provision from the charter, said Mayor Annette Wexler.

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sun-sentinel.com or 954-395-7921.